Centre for Innovation Research

New ideas and concepts are the key to prosperity and to the wealth and wellbeing of nations, regions and individuals. As the world becomes more globalized, the advanced, high-wage economies must rely on their applied inventiveness to maintain their future prosperity. This has become an imperative for a rich country like Norway and its energy capital the city region of Stavanger.

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There is a growing expectations that a large public sector should offer improved and easily accessed services, efficiently produced by innovative processes and distribution channels. Hence the need both for radical reforms and continuous user led innovations. Not surprisingly therefore, innovation has become a major field of study in economics, management, sociology, science and technology, and history. 

About the Centre

The Centre for Innovation Research was established in 2008. It is jointly managed by the University of Stavanger (UiS) and the Norwegian Research Center (NORCE).

The center is organizationally located at the UiS Business School. Currently, there are over thirty researchers from the Business School, NORCE, and other research organizations affiliated with the center. Amongst these are a number of international renowned scholars including John Bessant, Ron Boschma, Andres-Rodriguez Pose, Björn Asheim, and Subal Kumbhakar. Since 2019, Marte C.W. Solheim is the center director and there are currently three postdocs and ten PhD candidates.

The Centre has since its inception in 2008 acquired a robust and visible international reputation within innovation studies, economic geography, economics, and entrepreneurship. When evaluated by the Norwegian Research Council in 2019 (evaluation of social sciences, SAMEVAL), it was the strongest research group in innovation studies in Norway.

The 2020 Regional Studies Association (RSA) Institutional Ambassador Award

The Centre has been awarded the 2020 Regional Studies Association (RSA) Institutional Ambassador Award. It is embedded into a wide network of interactions with industry and governments and contributes crucial insights to policy and strategy in a regional, national and international context.

Projects

The center has acquired several prestigious projects in national and international competitions. An example of this is the „RUNIN“ project, which was the first Horizon 2020 project coordinated by the University of Stavanger. Other notable projects are the “DEMOSREG“, “Digitalize or Die“,  and “Realizing the Power of Users". In addition, its researchers regularly publish in the highest-impact journals such as Research Policy and Economic Geography. Moreover, they contribute to teaching at the University of Stavanger and several Ph.D. programs.

Research projects

POLISS

Policies for Smart Specialisation

RUNIN

The Role of Universities in Innovation and Regional Developments

Innovasjon i krisetider

Kunnskapsoppbygging Innovasjons Norge (In Norwegian)

Responsible Innovation in the Norwegian salmon farming industry

RegReSir

Regional Resiclience and Sustainable Industrial Restructuring

The role of Universities in bulding Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystems

AFINO

Responsible Research and Innovation in Norway

QUALDIFF

Quality-based differaentiation of salmon

Digitalize or Die

Dynamic Dricers of Responsible Resarch and Innovation in Health and Welfare services

Releasing the Power of Users

Responsible innovation in the health service

OTICS

A unified framework for regulation of multi-technology salmon aquaculture

Regional utvikling og innovasjon i en global økonomi

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News

Rune Dahl Fitjar is the new head of the Center for Innovation Research

Fitjar is a professor in innovation studies and comes from the position of Vice-Rector for Innovation and Society at the...

Researchers at the UiS Business School and the Centre for Innovation Research are among the most cited researchers in the world

Several researchers from the UiS Business School feature in two different rankings of the world's most cited researchers...

The UiS Business School and the Centre for Innovation Research are participating in a new circular bioeconomy initiative in Western Norway

The Research Council of Norway is awarding NOK 28 million to a project entitled Biocircle: Increased Innovation Capacity...

Competence sharing price 2021 awarded Marte C. W. Solheim

Associate Professor and Head of Centre for Innovation Research, Marte C. W. Solheim at the University of Stavanger Busin...

UiS Business School and the CIIP go forwards in the competition to become a centre for excellence in research (SFF)

The CIIP – Centre for Innovation, Institutions and Policy – will investigate to see how technological changes and innova...

The Centre for Innovation Research, a contributor to the debate on practice and policy

A look at how the Centre for Innovation Research in Stavanger has evolved in line with rapidly changing surrounds and sh...

Researchers

Professor II i økonimisk geografi
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing
Professor emeritus
51832141
UiS Business School
Professor i informatikk/produksjonsledelse
51831560
EOJ-218
Faculty of Science and Technology
Department of Mechanical and Structural Engineering and Materials Science
Professor II i innovasjonsledelse
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing
Førsteamanuensis II i innovasjon og entreprenørskap
51832903
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing
Professor
51831629
Faculty of Social Sciences
Department of Media and Social Sciences
Førsteamanuensis i statsvitenskap
51832529
EOJ 315
Faculty of Social Sciences
Department of Media and Social Sciences
Professor i industriell økonomi
51831640
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing
Professor II i innovasjonsstudier
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing
Prorektor for innovasjon og samfunn
51831562
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing
Professor i metodefag
51834499
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing
Professor i markedsanalyse
51833716
UiS Business School
Department of Economics and Finance
Professor i entreprenørskapsstudier
51831590
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing
Avdelingsleder
51832782
Stavanger - Norway
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing
Professor II i økonomi
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing
Professor II i ressurs økonomi
51832286
Faculty of Science and Technology
Department of Safety, Economics and Planning
Førsteamanuensis
51831841
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing

PhD Candidates

Ekstern u/utbetaling
51831179
Elise Ottesen-Jensens hus, 2nd floor. Kjell Arholms gate 37
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing
Stipendiat i innovasjon og regionale studier
51831395
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing
Stipendiat i innovasjon og regionale studier
51831396
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing
Stipendiat innenfor temaet smarte byer
51831232
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing
Stipendiat i ledelse
51831178
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing
Stipendiat i ledelse
51831150
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing
Postdoktor i innovasjon og regionale studier
51833259
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing
Ekstern uten utbetaling
51832780
UiS Business School
Timelønnet vit.assistent
90740441
UiS Business School
Stipendiat i innovasjon og regionale studier
51831399
UiS Business School
Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing
The Board
Per Koch, Head of Board

Special advisor at NIFU and editor of Forskningspolitikk

Heidi Wiig

Professor, BI

Ola Kvaløy

Dean, UiS Business School

Ingrid Helgøy

CEO, NORCE

Kåre Hansen

Research manager, NORCE

Bjarte Ravndal

Associate Professor, UiS Business School

Hilde Ness Sandvold

Secretary of the Board, UiS Business School

Head of Centre
Rune Dahl Fitjar

Professor, UiS Business School Telephone (+47) 51 83 15 62 E-mail: rune.d.fitjar@uis.no

Rune Dahl Fitjar, prorektor for innovasjon og samfunn ved Universitetet i Stavanger

The Gjedebo Family Donation to Innovation Research at UiS

The Gjedebo family donated in november 2007 50 million NOK to establish a Center for Innovation Research at UiS. The center is jointly managed by the University of Stavanger and NORCE.

Mayor Johan Sevland, Jon Gjedebo, Torunn Lange Gjedebo, Tore Gjedebo and Rector Aslaug Mikkelsen
Mayor Johan Sevland, Jon Gjedebo, Torunn Lange Gjedebo, Tore Gjedebo and Rector Aslaug Mikkelsen

The donation is one of the largest gifts ever made in Norway. It have made it possible to develop a research environment which is unique both in Norway and internationally. The center conducts research at a high international level within innovation and contribute to value creation and welfare.

The research provides a better basis for education and development of entrepreneurial attitudes in companies, the public sector and among students. The proximity to students and the research environment increase the catchment area for potential entrepreneurs and promote technology development and incubator activity at Ullandhaug.

University builder
Behind this donation is Mr. Jon Gjedebo, his wife Mrs. Torunn Lange Gjedebo and their two sons, Tore and Finn.

We had for some time been thinking of giving a donation to the university and looking for the right purpose and opportunity. It all came together when we heard of the Center for Innovation Research. It fit like a glove. This was just what we had been waiting for so the choice was very simple, said Tore Gjedebo, managing director of Styrbjørn AS, the family investment company.

The father, Jon Gjedebo, is one of the most successful and innovative entrepreneurs in the Stavanger region. His company Hitec was for many years one of the region's most important businesses with its high technological and innovative products linked to remote controlled drilling operations. The company was later sold to National Oilwell.

Jon Gjedebo has distinguished himself through the establishment of industrial centers at Hinna Park in Stavanger and in Asia together with large investments in real estate in Norway and abroad. He has earlier donated four million to UiS and is therefore among the university builders who played a decisive role in the establishment of the university.

Torunn Lange Gjedebo has been an enthusiast in the development of Nasjonalforeningen in Stavanger and of the senior citizen center Skipper Worse which she managed for many years. She has contributed to a renewal of senior citizen policy in Stavanger

Of great importance
The then Rector Aslaug Mikkelsen appreciated the donation from the Gjedebo family. She underlined that the center would be of great importance for research and innovation in a number of areas. It would also contribute to developing a culture of inquisitiveness and innovation at Ullandhaug founded on our applied and basic research.

Jon Gjedebo response:

Rogaland is an innovative region and there is much innovation to do research on. Stavanger has a history as Fortuna's city with industrial development from canning to printing and petroleum and then to finance industries. Stavanger is a natural place for this center.

Energy and Welfare
Technologically based innovation is decisive for creating welfare in society. Research at UiS and IRIS is a rich source for such development.

The Center for Innovation Resarch have an interdisciplinary profile and focus on solutions of important challenges in society and industry. To study the conditions necessary for success is a central topic.

There is a need for new technology to reduce the emission of climate gases, and to develop alternative forms of energy. Hence there is a need for new products and services which can support the welfare society and at the same time handle the cost of our way of life, Global challenges have to be solved regionally and that the region always has been known for innovation, entrepreneurs, go getting spirit and politicians who are willing to follow up.

The center will try to formulate what is little understood and ask questions about how understanding can become possible and contribute to comprehension. Both faculty and students play an essential role because they possess competence to be used in innovation. It all about releasing creativity in each other. Solve problems in cooperation and break down barriers, she concludes.

Contact
Administrative contact

Hilde Ness Sandvold Telephone (+47) 95 25 78 68 E-mail: hilde.sandvold@uis.no

Hilde Ness Sandvold
Visting address:

UiS Campus Ullandhaug The UiS Business School Elise Ottesen-Jensens house Kjell Arholms gate 35 4021 Stavanger

Postal address:

University of Stavanger Centre for Innovation Research N-4036 Stavanger Norway